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(No Model A. E. PRICE.

I TRAOTION ENGINE. No. 576,764. Patented Feb. 9, 189 7.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ABRAHAM E. PRICE, OF WAYNESBOROUGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE GEISER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

TRACTION-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 576,764, dated February 9, 1897.

Application filed July 8, 1896. Serial No. 598,369. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ABRAHAM E. PRICE, a citizen of the United States. residing at lVaynesborough, in the county of Franklin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Traction-Engines and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable 1o othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to traction-engines; and it consists in the novel construction and combination of the parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of portions of a traction-engine, showing the present invention; and Fig. 2 is an end view of the same.

A is the boiler, which is of any approved construction.

B are the road-wheels, which are mounted upon the rear axle 1). Rotary motion is imparted to one or to both of the road-wheels by a motor and intermediate driving mechanism of approved c0nstruction,which are not shown in the drawings, as they do not form a part of the present invention. The rear axle b is supported in any approved manner and the 0 road-wheels are of any approved construction.

In using traction-engines upon soft ground, as when used to draw along a gang-plow in plowing by steam, some difficulty is occasionally met With by reason of the road-wheels 5 sinking more deeply into the ground than is desirable. In order to overcome this difficulty and to obviate the necessity of making the road-wheels of greater width than is desirable, an auxiliary support is provided between the road-wheels for taking a part of the weight without retarding the motion of the tractionengine.

C are brackets secured to the boiler or to any equivalent part of the frame of the traction-engine. These brackets are provided with vertical slots 0 in their lower parts. D are cross-shafts carried in the said slots, and cl are chain-wheels mounted on the said shafts.

' E are drive-chains of approved construction, passing over the chain-wheels d, and e are cross-bars secured to the said drive-chains or flexible connections. The cross-bars extend transversely between the chains and are preferably T-shaped in cross-section.

The rear chain-wheels d are driven by any approved driving mechanism proportioned so as to move the lower cross-bars at substantially the same speed as the peripheries of the road-wheels and in the same direction.

F is a toothed wheel secured on the rear axle when the said rear axle is revoluble, and f is a toothed idle-wheel gearing into the wheel F and journaled on a pin f, projecting from one of the brackets C.

G is'a toothed wheel secured on the rear cross-shaft and gearing into the idle-wheel). The idle-wheel f is slidable on its pin, so that it can be placed out of gear with the wheels F and G. As this auxiliary support is not always required in action, and also in order that its position may be varied, it is made adjustable in a vertical direction.

II are links pivoted to the cross-shafts D, and h are crank-shafts provided with cranks h and journaled in bearings 11, secured to the boiler. The upper ends of the links H are pivoted to the cranks h. I are hand-levers secured to the crank-shafts for raising and lowering the cross-shafts D.

I are pins for securing the levers to the brackets after the position of the auxiliary support has been adjusted.

The front chain-wheels are preferably raised a little higher than the rear chainwheels, so that the cross-bars engage gradually with the ground. The auxiliary support prevents the road-wheels from sinking unduly, and it also assists in propelling the englue.

The devices for raising and lowering the auxiliary support may be constructed in many different ways in carrying out this invention, and the rear end of the auxiliary support may be extended rearwardly of the rear axle, if desired, so that the toothed wheels do not come vertically one above the other.

What I claim is 1. In a traction-engine, the combination, with a straight axle, and traction road-Wheels on the ends thereof; of a revoluble support arranged under the said axle and between the said road-Wheels, and means for revolv ing the said support from the said axle substantially as set forth.

2. In a traction-engine, the combination, with the road-wheels, and their axle; of a revoluble auxiliary support bearing upon the ground between the road-Wheels, and toothed driving devices positively connecting the said support with the said axle, substantially as set forth.

3. In a traction-engine, the combination, with the road-Wheels; of an auxiliary support comprising cross-shafts, chain-wheels carried by the said cross-shafts, endless flexible connections carried by the chainwheels and cross-bars carried by the said connections and engaging with the ground and driving mechanism operating to move the said cross-bars at substantially the same speed as the peripheries of the road-Wheels, substantially as set forth.

4. In a traction'engine, the combination, with the road-wheels, of an auxiliary support for hearing continuously against the ground,

driving mechanism operating the said support at substantially the same speed as the road-Wheels, and means for disengaging the said support from operative connection with the road-wheels, substantially as set forth.

5. In a traction-engine, the combination, with the road-wheels; of brackets provided with vertical slots cross-shafts mounted in the said slots, chain-wheels carried by the said cross-shafts, endless flexible connections carried by the ehainqvheels, and cross-bars carried by the said connections and engaging with the ground; driving mechanism operating to move the said cross-bars at substantially the same speed as the peripheries of the roadqvheels; and lever mechanism for raising and lowering the said cross-shafts, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ABRAHAM E. PRICE.

Witnesses:

CAL KROME, ALF. N. RUSSELL. 

